Eoranon
"My(We)Our Name is Byzuran(Legion)One for we are the Many(Pieces)Parts." Byzuran Intellect, 1522 S.V. No one really remembers what Eoranon, the most isolated continent on Scylla, used to look like. Those few who do scarcely care to remember, not since the Byzuran (an Elvish word from an obscure dialect meaning 'Many Parts') claimed the territory. Supposedly it was a verdant paradise of various plants and relatively docile animals; most consider that little more than romanticism, and believe it was just another chunk of land, waiting to be settled. This is of course all moot now, it is unlikely that anyone will colonize the region anytime in the near future, if ever. The Byzuran, sometimes referred to as the Fleshoard, have covered every square mile, and removing them/it has proven a task that will require far more time, money, and manpower than any nation is currently willing to expend. Much like the original state of Eoranon, nobody is entirely certain of the origins of the Byzuran. It is widely believed they are the handiwork of some hostile aberrant race, but evidence exists to suggest it may have been created by one or more of the myriad nations which broke away from the Federation, and some theories suggest that the Federation itself may have made it as a strategic domination weapon. Less scholarly sorts say that it doesn't matter except to politicians looking to bolster their image by definitively laying the blame for such a monstrosity on their enemies' pasts. The origins are not important, the results are what matters now. The Byzuran is a vast intellect, spread out across a series of innumerable organisms, all of which are connected by a powerful telepathic network. Whether or not it's a hivemind or grand psychic parliament or something else is unknown; all that matters is that they, thus far, all seem to agree on how to go about things. As far as anyone can tell, they/it share the same knowledge, desires, and purpose. This purpose is, in Byzuran's own words, is "to bring lasting peace to all through harmonious unity." The problem with this mission is not the goal but rather the means- Byzuran operates under the belief that the only means towards bringing about 'lasting peace' is by absorbing all organic mass into itself. To accomlish this, Byzuran regularly spawns a wide variety of grotesque monstrosities which it often outfits with simple but dangerous mechanical upgrades. When enough of these freak shows have been amassed, they are launched towards major population centers and begin raiding efforts to acquire as much organic mass as possible to bring back home. Byzuran is not particularly picky, either: gathering flesh from all races; living, dead, and undead. Humanoid, aberrant, feral animals, even plant life. It doesn't seem to care, all are viable subjects for absorption. Perhaps more terrifying than all this is how Byzuran goes about achieving its ends: it is never hostile, sadistic, or cruel. It is machine-like, performing operations as efficiently and diligently as possible without pause or mercy. It bears ill will towards none, indeed it only wants them to be happy. Some believe that, were it possible to make contact with Byzuran for any significant length of time, diplomatic discourse may be possible, thereby removing one more powerful threat from Civilization. Such individuals are certain it must possess some level of higher intellect, given its ability to adapt and co-opt new monstrosities to keep up with its prey's advances. If this is indeed possible, then the problem is opportunity, and one has yet to show itself. Byzuran's functional designs make it difficult to communicate with. It does not respond to magic or through physical means, it communicates solely through psychic telapthy. The issue with telepathy as a viable alternative is that the creatures from the Mass, the ones that go out to retrieve more mass, cannot speak for the entirety of the mind. They are little more than automatons, too weak and devoid of intellect to speak to or for the entirety of the whole, going about their work like so many ants. This is the greatest hurdle in opening any sort of diplomatic line, speaking to Byzuran on its own level. The only theoretically feasible means of direct communication thus far developed would be for a powerful telepath to land directly on the continental mass and get in touch with one of the great Flesh Spires that dot the Eoranonian continent. These Flesh Spires are supposedly some manner of psychic antenna, allowing Byzuran to send out and receive psychic communications, and may provide a direct link to its mind. The issue with this of course is actually getting to one of the Spires, which are defended by small armies of flesh-horrors, and it would also mean standing directly upon Byzuran's body- a danger that few are willing to face. The entirety of Eoranon, as noted before, is covered by the Byzuran. It has been likened in many ways to the legendary Genius Loci, though far more intelligent and capable of finer control over its environment-spanning body. The ground that one walks upon is actually a small mountain of tough, rubbery flesh- at its shallowest points, nearly twelve feet thick. The air one breathes is pungent with the stench of body odor, sweat; the even less pleasant scent of afterbirth often follows as Byzuran spawns more bodies. There are no mountains, no trees, only a vast fleshy plains with the occasional tall hill or grand spire of flesh and bone, from coast to coast, stopping just short of the oceans that surround the continent- almost five million square miles. Some of the hills and spires are lined with simple technological constructs which look to be painfully integrated into the great mass of organic tissue, believed to lead to underground factories where Byzuran constructs its terror troops and war machines. Fortunately for the rest of the world, despite the Byzuran's size, potential for intellect, tenacity, and ability to generate massive numbers; it is very limited in imagination, relying less on complex strategies and more on wave tactics and occasionally special creatures who broadcast telepathic propaganda. It also appears to be a slow learner if indeed it learns at all, relying on the same simplistic meshing processes it has since it first appeared, and it possesses no magical capabilities. It is also known to have trouble transporting large numbers of troops by sea, generally relying on air power whenever possible. With Scylla's weather patterns being what they are, the Byzuran sometimes loses entire armies simply due to poor weather, which, mercifully, renders it less of an immediate threat than the likes of the Goblinoid armies or the Fell Kingdoms. It does however remain a long-term concern for Scylla and all that lives in general. Back to Scylla Back to Main Page